Instagram is testing more visible ways for users to customize what they see in the app, as Meta looks to make algorithm controls a central part of the Instagram experience rather than a buried setting.
Instagram users could soon see more ways to tune their content after Instagram head Adam Mosseri previewed new access points for the platform’s “Your Algorithm” feature.
Instagram Wants Algorithm Controls to Feel Central
The test builds on Instagram’s effort to give users more control over recommendations.
TechCrunch reported that “Your Algorithm” lets users specify which topics they want to see more of and less of.
Mosseri framed the goal as a shift in how users interact with Instagram’s recommendation system.
The Next Web cited Mosseri’s statement that the tool should move from a setting into something central to the Instagram experience.
Pull-Down Menus, Reel Prompts and Feedback Buttons
The prototypes would make algorithm tuning appear inside normal browsing, rather than forcing users to search through settings. One example shows users pulling down in the Instagram feed until the “Your Algorithm” menu appears. Another prototype uses a swipe-up prompt on individual Reels to bring algorithm controls directly into the content flow.
Instagram is also testing more direct content feedback. A third example shows buttons beneath each Reel that let users indicate whether they want to see more Reels like it. The per-Reel buttons as the most granular option because they let users give real-time feedback on individual content without interrupting the scroll.
The features are not guaranteed to launch in their current form.
TechCrunch quoted Mosseri as saying, “Some of this is testing now, some is coming soon, some might not work”. Mosseri cautioned that some features are testing, some are coming soon, and some might not work.
Users Still Want Posts From People They Follow
The test comes as Instagram continues to balance discovery-based recommendations with user frustration over algorithmic feeds.
TechCrunch reported that the most popular comments on Mosseri’s post made the same request, with one user writing, “WE JUST WANT OUR ALGORITHM TO SHOW THE PPL WE FOLLOW”. The same comment reflected the disconnect between Instagram’s topic-level tuning of an AI-driven recommendation engine and users who want a chronological feed of accounts they chose to follow.
That tension has defined Instagram’s evolution in recent years. The platform wants to compete with TikTok and YouTube Shorts, where recommendation systems often show users content from accounts they do not follow. But many Instagram users still see the app as a place to keep up with friends, creators, and accounts they intentionally chose.
Algorithm Control Becomes a Product Strategy
The test suggests that Instagram is not planning to abandon algorithmic recommendations. Instead, it is trying to make the system feel more adjustable. “Your Algorithm” shows users an AI-generated summary of the topics influencing recommendations and lets them adjust preferences across Feed, Reels and Explore simultaneously.
If the test works, Instagram could give users a clearer sense of control without fully returning to a follow-only or chronological feed. That may help Meta respond to long-running complaints about unwanted recommendations while keeping the discovery model that drives engagement.
For users, the change could make Instagram feel less mysterious. or Meta, it is a way to say the algorithm is not only something users are subject to, but something they can shape.
